ArcelorMittal workers occupy French site over jobs threat

Workers at the ArcelorMittal's site in Moselle eastern France

Reuters/Vincent Kessler

Around 200 metal workers from global steel giant ArcelorMittal have occupied the company’s site at Florange in the Moselle region of eastern France in protest at management’s refusal to re-open two blast furnaces which have been out of operation since the middle of last year.

The workers say they will continue their action until ArcelorMittal reveals its plans for the site.

At the same time around half the company’s workforce, some 3,000 employees, were also temporarily laid-off and the company says it has no immediate plans to re-employ them.

Unions say they fear the company has plans to close down the site completely.

Earlier this month, the world’s biggest steel maker announced a net loss for the last three months of the year of 757 million euros.

At the time ArecelorMittal chairman said the situation in Europe was a ‘live’ concern.

The company says it intends to cut operating costs by 605 million euros this year.